Swimming pool float-alarm



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am mz'rcnocr? Sept- ""W E. P WHITE (1M XM SWIMMING POOL FLOAT-ALARM Filed June 30, 1964 United States Patent O SWHMMHNG FOUL FLUKE-ALARM Edward P. White, 12 Wainut Place, Massapequa, NY. Filed .lune 30, 1964, Ser. No. 379,303 3 Ciaims, (Cl. 340-261) This invention relates to a iioating alarm which sounds when an object falls into a swimming pool.

Swimming pools must be guarded for the safety of children and others. When a pool is unattended, guardin-g may be provided by the `float-alarm herein described. Thus, for example, when a family is in the house, close enough to hear an alarm but not in the immediate proximity of the pool, the oat-alarm, which is sensitive to waves caused by objects falling into the pool, provides the necessary protection by summoning help in case a child falls in while the pool is unattended.

The invention resides in a simple, floating structure which is easy to fabricate and inexpensive to purchase and maintain. The float-alarm is self-contained and the alarm circuit itself is powered by a battery. The alarm element can be a small horn. The watertight iioat chamber can be readily formed by permanently joining two concave stampings rim-to-rim. The stampings, and therefore the surfaces of the float chamber, can have raised cylindrical portions for s'lidably engaging a cupped unitary circuit support in inverted relation to the oat chamber. Thus the circuit support can be separately removed for replacing the battery and other servicing of the circuit. A hat-shaped cover can in turn be slidably engaged in inverted relation over the circuit support to protect the citrcuit elements from moisture. The simplicity and other advantages of the invention will become apparent in the description that follows.

An object of this invention is to provide Ia warning to those within hearing distance when an object falls into a swimming pool, by means of a simply-constructed, selfcontained floating device with a battery-powered alarm that is actuated when a wave of water rocks the device, which floating device is readily assembled and disassembled for servicing.

A further object of this invention is to provide a warning device to .notify those within hearing distance when an object falls into a swimming pool, by means of a selfcontained float-alarm comprising a readily tiltable float body; an alarm circuit comprising a battery providing electric power, an electric alarm, and a tilt-actuated electric switch for completing the alarm circuit; means for holding the alarm circuit to the top of the iioat with the switch disposed on the means for holding the alarm circuit such that the switch is normally open but closes when the Iflo-at body is tilted; and a readily removable cover disposed over and protecting the alarm circuit, the cover being secured to and readily detachable from the circuit support and the iioat body.

Another object of this invention is to provide a warning to those within hearing distance when an object falls into a swimming pool, by means of a float-alarm comprising a readily-tiltable, hollow iloat body; an alarm circuit comprising a battery providing electric power, an electric alarm, and a tilt-actuated electric switch for completing the alarm circuit; an alarm circuit support member to which the components of the alarm circuit are directly secured; means for holding the alarm circuit support in readily detachable relation with respect to the float body with the .tilt-actuated electric switch disposed on the alarm circuit support member so that the switch is normally open but closes when the float body is tilted; and a readilyremovable cover disposed over and protecting the alarm circuit, the cover being secured to and readily detachable from the circuit support and the float body.

Another object of the invention is to provide a warning 3,276,007 Patented Sept. 27, 1966 Cice to those within hearing distance when an object falls into a swimming pool, by means of a self-contained iioat-alarm comprising a simply-fabricated, permanently-closed, discshaped, hollow iloat body having on the upper side a centrally disposed protrusion presenting an upstanding cylindrical side Wall in `spaced relation with respect to the margin of the oat body, a cup-shaped circuit support member ydisposed in inverted relation with respect to the iioat body with the inner surface of the side wall thereof in frictional slidabtle engagement with the side wall of the iioat body protrusion, an alarm circuit attached to the bottom portion of the cup-shaped circuit support, the alarm circuit comprising a battery for providing electric power, an electrically-actuated alarm and a circuit for actuating the alarm from the battery, said circuit comprising a tilt-actuated switch that normally is maintained in open position and that is adapted to be closed to complete the circuit when the oat body is tilted, and a cupshaped cover overlying the alarm circuit in inverte-d relation thereto, with the inner surface of the side wall thereof in frictional slidable engagement with the exterior of the side wall of the cup-shaped alarm circuit support.

The invention will be further explained and demonstrated by reference to the following figures:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the assembled floatalarm;

FIG. 2 is a partial vertical section view of the assembled float-alarm showing a phantom out-line of the device when it is in the tilted or alarm-actuating position;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view showing the top portion of the permanently se-aled tloat chamber; the unitary cupped support which holds the alarm, the battery and the tiltactuated switch (cutaway View); and the bottom portion of the cover or hat; and

FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of the alarm circuit.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the hat-shaped cover 1 is shown covering the unitary cupped support 4 for the alarm circuit elements. The cover protects the elements from moisture while still providing air circulation by means of the louvers 2. The hat 1 ts securely in slidable engagement with the side wall of the cupped support 4 which in turn fits securely in slidable engagement with the side wall of the protruding cylindrical portion 5 of the permanently sealed float chamber base 3. The permanently-sealed float chamber base is readily fabricated by permanently joining two dished stampings rim-to-rim.

The battery 6 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is det-achably held by the battery support 7 adjacent the alarm 8. The liquid conductor (mercury) switch 9, is attached at 1'1 to the underside of the alarm circuit support 4. The electrical circuit for actuating the alarm, responsive to tilting of the switch, is shown in FIG. 4. When the device is in operation, iioating in a pool, the alarm circuit normally is broken at the switch 9. However, when an object falls into the pool and a wave is created, the float tilts as in the phantom position 10, causing the liquid conductor (mercury) in the actuating switch 9 to move and thereby close the circuit and sound the alarm. Moisture is prevented from entering the alarm circuit area by the snug fit of the cover or hat over the alarm circuit support, which in turn ts snugly over the permanently-sealed oat chamber at the raised cylindrical portion 5.

FiG. 3 illustrates the simplic-ity of the device and its capacity to -be readily assembled and disassembled. The hat 1 is shown removed to provide access to the alarm circuit support 4 which in turn has been removed from the permanently-sealed float chamber 3. Thus, the battery in the alarm circuit may be replaced or other servicing done on the circuit. The alarm circuit and circuit support are compact, easily removed from, and easily serviced independently of the other parts of the invention.

While this invention has been described in connection with a specific embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that this has been done for the purposes of illustration, and embodiments of this invention may take other forms within the scope thereof and defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A self-contained swimming pool float-alarm comprising a permanently closed, disc-shaped, hollow float body having on the upper side a centrally disposed protrusion presenting an upstanding cylindrical side wall in spaced relation with respect to the margin of said float body, a cup-shaped circuit support member disposed in inverted relation with respect to Isaid float body with the inner surface of the side wall thereof in frictional slidab-le engagement with the side wall of said protrusion, an alarm circuit attached to the bottom portion of said cupshaped circuit support, said alarm circuit comprising a battery for providing electric power, an electrically-actuated alarm and a circuit for actuating said alarm from said battery, ysaid circuit including a tilt-actuated switch that normally is maintained in open position and that is adapted and arranged to become closed to complete said circuit when said float body is tilted, and a cup-shaped cover overlying said alarm circuit in inverted relation thereto, with the inner surface of the side wall thereof in References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,723,390 11/ 1955 Robertson L 340261 `2,754,497 7/1956 Wolpert 340-279 3,054,096 9/ 1962 |Peritz 340-26v1 X 3,076,186 1/1963 Greeve 340-279 3,092,822 6/1963 Dorman 340-261 3,208,062 9/ 1965 Gregory 340-279 NEIL C. READ, Primary Examiner.

R. M. GOLDMAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SELF-CONTAINED SWIMMING POOL FLOAT-ALARM COMPRISING A PERMANENTLY CLOSED, DISC-SHAPED, HOLLOW FLOAT BODY HAVING ON THE UPPER SIDE A CENTRALLY DISPOSED PROTRUSION PRESENTING AN UPSTANDING CYLINDRICAL SIDE WALL IN SPACED RELATION WITH RESPECT TO THE MARGIN OF SAID FLOAT BODY, A CUP-SHAPED CIRCUIT SUPPORT MEMBER DISPOSED IN INVERTED RELATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID FLOAT BODY WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF THE SIDE WALL THEREOF IN FRICTIONAL SLIDABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SIDE WALL OF SAID PROTRUSION, AN ALARM CIRCUIT ATTACHED TO THE BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID CUPSHAPED CIRCUIT SUPPORT, SAID ALARM CIRCUIT COMPRISING A BATTERY FOR PROVIDING ELECTRIC POWER, AN ELECTRICALLY-ACTUATED ALARM AND A CIRCUIT FOR ACTUATING SAID ALARM FROM SAID BATTERY, SAID CIRCUIT INCLUDING A TILT-ACTUATED SWITCH THAT NORMALLY IS MAINTAINED INOPEN POSITION AND THAT IS ADAPTED AND ARRANGED TO BECOME CLOSED TO COMPLETE SAID CIRCUIT WHEN SAID FLOAT BODY IS TILTED, AND A CUP-SHAPED COVER OVERLYING SAID ALARM CIRCUIT IN INVERTED RELATION THERETO, WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF THE SIDE WALL THEREOF IN FRICTIONAL SLIDABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE EXTERIOR OF THE SIDE WALL OF SAID CUP-SHAPED ALARM CIRCUIT SUPPORT. 